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Thread: Any of you use Prolong oil treatment?

  1. #1
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    Any of you use Prolong oil treatment?

    I normally shy away from most additives to about anything, but i was flipping through a Racecar Engineering magazine last night and they did some tests on it. Apparently it really works and good at that.

    Any experience with it? Is it something I/we should be using? Especially w/ stock oil pumps/pickups/pans?

  2. #2
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    I was really skeptical that they ran that "article" opposite the full-page ad for the product... RCE is usually great -- that just seemed to be a dumb move on their part.

  3. #3
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    RCE: Hey, we tested your product and found out it was pretty good. Wanna buy a big ad?

    Prolong: Well gee, lemme think about it.

    OR

    Prolong: Hey, we wanna run a big ad and pay you lots of money. Can you test our product?

    RCE: Lotsa money? Well gee, lemme think about it.

    Although we all want to believe that our subscription dollars keep magazines running, it's really ad revenue. Is RCE's review skewed by the amount of money Prolong paid for the ad? We hope not. If you find RCE's articles to be pretty balanced overall, then it's likely they aren't just plugging a sponsor.
    97 Estoril/Black M3/4/5

    "Although we've experienced an M3 sedan with an automatic, our test car came fitted as God intended, with a 5-speed manual ..."
    Road & Track May 1997, testing the M3 Sedan

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by M3 Pete View Post
    If you find RCE's articles to be pretty balanced overall, then it's likely they aren't just plugging a sponsor.
    I really hope this is the case. I really like RCE! Hopefully they address this in the next (or a subsequent) issue.

    The juxtaposition of the article and ad was just _too_ fishy though. It would be a lot more believable that RCE had good intentions if they were separated by at least a few pages.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by thenobot View Post
    I really hope this is the case. I really like RCE! Hopefully they address this in the next (or a subsequent) issue.

    The juxtaposition of the article and ad was just _too_ fishy though. It would be a lot more believable that RCE had good intentions if they were separated by at least a few pages.
    So appearances are more important than reality? This seems to be pretty common in magazines.

    The article is either skewed or it isn't. I don't think opting to extract a few more ad dollars for premium placement opposite the article is going to change that.
    97 Estoril/Black M3/4/5

    "Although we've experienced an M3 sedan with an automatic, our test car came fitted as God intended, with a 5-speed manual ..."
    Road & Track May 1997, testing the M3 Sedan

  6. #6
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    Prolong...

    I have had some good results w/ Prolong......

    oops........got mixed up there for a second.......sorry

  7. #7
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    I'm pretty sure they've been brought up on charges by the Federal Trade Commission for false advertisement/failure to substantiate claims in the past.

    I think Prolong has high doses of chlorinated extreme pressure (EP) additives, which make the oil acidic. Otherwise, additives can contain too much ZDTP and/or ZDDP, which are EP additives made from zinc and phosphorus. Too much zinc and phosphorus in the oil will foul oxygen sensors and catalytic converters if you have oil blowby or crankcase vents into the intake (every street car does, many racecar engines vent to atmosphere). Problem is EP additives are not needed in engine oil unless you have excessive metal to metal contact. If that's the case, you have problems.
    James Muskopf
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  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by JamesM3M5 View Post
    I'm pretty sure they've been brought up on charges by the Federal Trade Commission for false advertisement/failure to substantiate claims in the past.
    hmmm, right you are, but it is interesting what the consent order (first document in search results) says about race car claims:

    http://search.ftc.gov/query.html?qt=prolong

    IT IS ORDERED that respondent, directly or through any corporation, subsidiary, division, or other device, in connection with the labeling, advertising, promotion, offering for sale, sale, or distribution of Prolong Engine Treatment Concentrate or any other product for use in a motor vehicle, in or affecting commerce, shall not make any representation, in any manner, expressly or by implication, that:

    a. Compared to motor oil alone, use of such product:

    (1) Reduces engine wear at start-up; or

    (2) Extends the duration of engine life,

    under any or all circumstances or conditions or by any quantitative figure, unless, at the time the representation is made, respondent possesses and relies upon competent and reliable scientific evidence that substantiates the representation.

    b. Use of such product:

    (1) Reduces corrosion in engines; or

    (2) Protects against engine breakdowns,

    under any or all circumstances or conditions or by any quantitative figure, unless, at the time the representation is made, respondent possesses and relies upon competent and reliable scientific evidence that substantiates the representation.

    c. Benefits that may be achieved through use of such product in race cars or under racing conditions will be achieved in ordinary automobiles in conventional use,

    unless, at the time the representation is made, respondent possesses and relies upon competent and reliable scientific evidence that substantiates the representation.
    97 Estoril/Black M3/4/5

    "Although we've experienced an M3 sedan with an automatic, our test car came fitted as God intended, with a 5-speed manual ..."
    Road & Track May 1997, testing the M3 Sedan

  9. #9
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    After reading the consent order I think I want to read the ad. Anyone quote it to those of us who do not subscribe to Race Car Engineering.

  10. #10
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    Being a British magazine, RCE isn't under the jurisdiction of the U.S. FTC.

    The ad copy states:
    SURFACE MODIFYING LUBRICATION TECHNOLOGY
    Metal Treatment in a Bottle
    "A quantum leap in lubricant development and performance"
    - Mike burrows Managing Direction Monitions Ltd (Europe's Largest Independent Oil Analysis Laboratory)
    Available from Europe's 1st Motorsport Distributor
    www.racepards-direct.com

    In the background of the ad is a photo of some of the Prolong products. The product labels contain the following quotes:
    "The World's Most Powerful Motor Oil" (!!!!)
    "Protects against friction and heat"
    "The ultimate in protection and performance"

    The article, however, has a total fanboy slant to it. Claims of better automotive performance, improved lubrication, etc. are made in the article. Nothing negative is said about the product, and no doubts are raised. An independt study is cited that claims improved lubrication (via a reduction in part weight loss over a duration of 20 hours running at 1500 RPM).

    I'd say that Prolong snuck their way into getting their core advertising message into the US market with the help of the editors of RCE.

    (btw, "quantum leap" is so misused in common language. A quantum leap is where an electron in an atom changes its orbital distance to be either one level closer or further from the atom's nucleus. It's one of the smallest distances a particle can cover... Somehow it has come to mean a large leap or a huge change in something! Although in this specific case, I'd guess their usage of the term is scientifically accurate... )
    Last edited by thenobot; 11-17-2006 at 11:37 PM.

  11. #11
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    From: thenobot -at- yahoo.com<thenobot -at="" yahoo.com="">
    Subject: Prolong Article in RCE
    To: racecar@ipcmedia.com, simonmcbeath@sm-designs.co.uk


    To whom it may concern,

    I'm an avid reader of RCE, but was taken aback by the juxtaposition of
    the article about Prolong oil treatment with the full-page ad for
    Prolong's products in RCE Vol 16 No 11 on pages 46-49.

    This really stinks of a "paid article" in your magazine, particularly
    considering the restrictions the United States Federal Trade Commission
    (which oversees business practices in the USA) has placed on Prolong's
    advertising and labeling in the USA. They have ordered Prolong to
    cease claims of improved engine life, a reduction in startup wear and
    corrosion, and claims that improvements seen in race conditions would
    be seen in non-race conditions (ref:
    http://www.ftc.gov/os/1999/11/prolong.do.htm). The article either
    makes or implies these claims about the product.

    This article has reduced my confidence in RCE to be an unbiased source
    of information in its field. Future "articles" of this nature should
    be clearly labeled as advertisements.

    Sincerely,
    {my real name}

    (we'll see what happens.....)
    </thenobot>

  12. #12
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    You might have been slightly too harsh on RCE. You have to read the legalese carefully. Prolong is in fact allowed to make such claims so long as "at the time the representation is made, respondent possesses and relies upon competent and reliable scientific evidence that substantiates the representation."

    Now, do they have the requisite "competent and reliable scientific evidence?" I don't know. But if they do, they can make those claims right here in the US of A.
    97 Estoril/Black M3/4/5

    "Although we've experienced an M3 sedan with an automatic, our test car came fitted as God intended, with a 5-speed manual ..."
    Road & Track May 1997, testing the M3 Sedan

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by thenobot View Post
    (btw, "quantum leap" is so misused in common language. A quantum leap is where an electron in an atom changes its orbital distance to be either one level closer or further from the atom's nucleus. It's one of the smallest distances a particle can cover... Somehow it has come to mean a large leap or a huge change in something! Although in this specific case, I'd guess their usage of the term is scientifically accurate... )
    Thank you! I have always hated this term as well since I learned what it meant in highschool chemistry and physics. I believe it also goes one step further to mean that if an electron jumps one state higher, it immediately drops back and releases energy in the process. Hence the reason why neon signs glow, among a million other behaviors. So a Quantum Leap is a jump to a different energy state and an immediate return to the original state. Huh. Kinda poetic when talking about miracle oil additives, eh?
    James Muskopf
    RRT Racing
    DC Metro's premier BMW service and racing facility

  14. #14
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    I have used prolong since 1998 in every vehicle that I have ever owned. I have attempted two seize air cooled engines several times using this product and have failed. This product is absolutely extraordinary and has saved me tons of money in mechanics bills and fuel efficiency. I had a 6 year old BMW 328i years ago that I accidentally cracked the oil pan on. Back then I was only 21 years old and happen to be on my way 50 miles away to Tampa to a club. I only had $100 in my pocket when I left town. I cracked the oil pan and drove 50 miles one way. When I arrived I smelled burning oil. I checked the oil and it was empty! Holy crap I think I just burn my engine out. After having a few drinks and crying a bit I managed to scrape up enough money 2 by 2 quarts of oil. I put them in the car and hoped for the best. I drove the 50 miles back home and park the car. I had it towed to the shop in the morning and to my amazement the mechanic told me that there was no damage to the car other than the cracked oil pan. Proof positive this stuff does work! And as for the FTC supposed lawsuits, a bunch of BS. No lawsuit has ever won against prolong.

  15. #15
    NeilM is offline Member BMW E36 M3 Expert
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    Quote Originally Posted by Donovan nix View Post
    And as for the FTC supposed lawsuits, a bunch of BS. No lawsuit has ever won against prolong.
    As stated in the earlier post by M3 Pete, it was a consent decree, not a verdict. A consent decree is when you get caught, deny you did anything wrong, and are forced to stop doing that thing you claim you never did.
    Last edited by NeilM; 03-14-2018 at 04:34 PM.

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